Thursday, April 3, 2014

Inspire the heroes a mentor must

You read. You watch movies. You can spot these guys a mile
away. You know exactly what they are there to do and what is going to happen to
them.

The mentor is person/object that comes from the new world to
which the hero is being called. The function of the mentor is to help ease the
fear of the hero that made him/her refuse the call in the first place. This
could be through giving the hero knowledge of the new world to combat a fear of
the unknown, giving the hero confidence to overcome feelings of inadequacy, or
giving them hope that they can survive the trials by serving as an example.

Do we really need to analyze how Miyagi, Morpheus, Keating,
and Yoda served as mentors to their potential heroes? Didn't think so.

In romance novels, especially our near and dear paranormals,
the mentors for the heroes are pretty obvious. In Diaries, it was Iris, the very old and very sassy former Prima of
Dallas. But my main character, Violet, actually ended up being a mentor for her
romantic lead. He needed an example of someone living a life they loved enough
to fight for. When he got over his fear of disobeying orders, he fought to create a life he wanted to live. And then the smooching ensued.

So how do you identify mentors in your own life? How do you
find the courage you might need to say ‘yes’ to your calling?

Listen. Listen to what people have done in their lives, read
what people have to say about their experiences (yes- this means a few
non-fictions every now and then). Remember that each of us is on a
journey. Everyone has had a dark moment, a moment of resurrection, has
refused a call. Listen to their stories and learn from them. Everyone is a
potential mentor, a potential guide. And one person might have that one kernel
of truth you have been looking for to take the next step in your journey.

Now this doesn't mean that you should let just anyone talk
your ear off. But remember Mr Miyagi was the maintenance man. Mentors can be found in
unexpected places. You just have to be listening.